Act I Scene III
Casca speaks:
And yesterday the bird of night did sitEven at noon-day upon the marketplace,Hooting and shrieking.
The discussion takes place on the eve of the Ides of March. Casca, speaking to Cicero, describes bad omens he has witnessed. Hearing an owl hooting and screeching in the middle of the day is unusual, and he considers it a bad omen, especially when considered among other omens he saw. Owls,...
Act I Scene III
Casca speaks:
And yesterday the bird of night did sit
Even at noon-day upon the marketplace,
Hooting and shrieking.
The discussion takes place on the eve of the Ides of March. Casca, speaking to Cicero, describes bad omens he has witnessed. Hearing an owl hooting and screeching in the middle of the day is unusual, and he considers it a bad omen, especially when considered among other omens he saw. Owls, crows and ravens were considered bad omens at the time. Cicero dismissed Casca's omens, insisting that natural explanations exist even when things appear to be unnatural.
Later in the scene, Casca meets with Cassius and they discuss the omens. Cassius says that the bad omens mean trouble for Julius Caesar. Numerous omens point to Caesar's death in the play. The "bird of night" is one of those warnings that tell the audience to prepare for the tragedy soon to befall Caesar.
Among the themes, we find the impact a sick society experiences with the death of their king, as seen in the above quote. This suggests that the growing number of omens may result from the agitation, guilt and potential danger they face.
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